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If you have the passion and the enthusiasm to sell amazing Japan holidays to amazing customers, then you should take a look:
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On the 2nd of January, I went to see 79 year old Emperor Akihito at his Palace in central Tokyo. It was a huge event – you can go only go into the Palace grounds twice a year, on his birthday and for New Year celebrations.
I was excited about seeing him. As Chief Priest of the nation, son of war-time Emperor Hirohito, and raised in a family claiming a direct ancestral link to God, he should have a few stories.
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A skinhead in a green bomber jacket, rolled- up jeans and red Doc Martens rushed towards me. “Hi, we’re upstairs, let’s go” he said. His name was Yamada, and he was my hooligan friend for the afternoon.
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Working in travel is a job with many benefits. Our job here at InsideJapan Tours basically boils down to providing amazing experiences for people and making people happy, which is why I wanted to work in travel in the first place. However, every now and again I have the opportunity myself to travel to new and inspiring destinations that I may never have considered otherwise.
Last night I returned from the AiTO oversees conference held this year in Kochi in the state of Kerela, Southern India. I had was a somewhat reluctant participant in this event and was not exactly shy in expressing my reservations about flying half way round the world for a three day event which I felt might as well have been held in Brighton or Bristol. However, my sadness at having to depart on Sunday morning (admittedly not helped by being 1:30am!) confirmed to me that when all was said and done I was decidedly wrong!
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Nakano Broadway sells nothing useful. Like Akihabara, its east Tokyo rival, it sells large quantities of bizarre manga and anime spin-off novelty items. Unlike Akihabara, which at least manages to sell some useful things, (TVs, cameras, computers, etc) in Nakano its all useless. Much of the bin fodder they peddle isn’t even related to manga or anime. Yet still, every weekend its packed with people emptying their wallets. It makes for a fascinating afternoon wander.
Huge manga collection is a big draw for locals
Filed under: Culture, Sightseeing | Tagged: akihabara, anime, manga, nakano, nakano braodway, otaku | 2 Comments »
Sunday 1st November 2009: Another month, another bath! What better way to celebrate the turning of the calendar from October to November than a journey out to visit an onsen that has long captured my imagination and yet in 10 years of visiting Japan I had failed to venture to: Kurama. Located at the end of the Eiden electric railway, a rather cute tram-type train that winds its way out of Kyoto to the mountains in the north, Kurama Onsen is renowned in Kyoto for being a place of real natural beauty and a town where some of the most traditional aspects of Japanese culture are still thriving. Extremely popular in autumn-leaf season (usually the middle of November), Kurama is an escape from the busy streets of central Kyoto. Read more »
Filed under: Japanese Baths, Sightseeing | Tagged: baths, hot springs, Kurama, Kyoto, onsen | Leave a Comment »
As those long winter nights begin to draw in back in the UK, today we hark back to the heady days of this summer when the InsideJapan Tours’ team sweated their way round Japan and, on more than one occassion, up the demanding slopes of Mt. Fuji to stand on the top of Japan.
But why would anyone want to climb Mount Fuji? It’s an epic slog, up a steep barren unforgiving trail. The weather is unpredictable and the views limited. Seating options are usually a toss-up between a rock and a hard place, and the crowds on the trail give you little time for quiet contemplation.It’s an ordeal that will scar your body and brain for some time after. On my last climb to the top, our group left the 5th station at 7:30pm and reunited there at 10am the following day. Our longest break during this period was 25 minutes. For many people, that is 3 months of exercise completed in one hit.
Standing on the top of Japan - Mt. Fuji Sunrise
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Monday 19th October – Ebisu-yu, Kurashiki
So the bath blog continues. Ah the excitement of reading about another bath!
After my mammoth ride through Shikoku (mammoth for me anyway) I ventured to Kurashiki for a one night stay in this historic town. This was my first visit and I was not disappointed. Kurashiki really is very charming and would definitely make an enjoyable one or even two night stay on any Japan holiday itinerary. However, the purpose of this blog section is not to talk about sightseeing but about baths. Read more »
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It is pretty well known that Japan is a land of natural hot springs. You may also be aware of the long history of bathing in Japan, a nation which was extolling the hygiene and relaxation benefits of a long soak when us Brits still thought taking a bath was a sure-fire way to an early grave! (click for an interesting history of bathing) What perhaps isn’t so well appreciated is quite is the sheer volume of bath houses across the whole of Japan. There are famous onsen areas such as Hakone, Kusatsu and Beppu where you can find a huge range of natural hot spring baths from the one pool variety with very basic facilities to the most luxurious spas where beautiful gardens and outdoor hinoki wood baths combine with massage and spa treatments for the ultimate relaxation experience. However, it is not just these famous areas that boast bath houses. In fact nearly very town in Japan will have a public bath. Most are not onsen but sento, bath houses where the water is heated from the mains in a more conventional fashion! But even without the mineral benefits of their volcanic cousins, sento still provide a great relaxation and social experience. Read more »
Filed under: Culture, Japanese Baths | Tagged: baths, hot springs, onsen, sento | 2 Comments »
